The opening ceremony of the 2025 Outdoor Style International Fair (Q-FAIR 2025) was organized by the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province in coordination with the Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association (VIFOREST), Vietnam Wood Industry Fair Joint Stock Company (VIFOREST Fair) and the Binh Dinh Timber and Forest Products Association (FPA Binh Dinh).

Attending the opening ceremony of the Fair were: Ha Cong Tuan, former Permanent Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Nguyen Tuan Hung, Representative of the Department of Forestry - Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MARD); Bui Quang Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Promotion (XTTM), Ministry of Industry and Trade...

On the side of Binh Dinh province, attending the opening ceremony of Q-FAIR 2025 were: Le Kim Toan, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Pham Anh Tuan, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province; Doan Van Phi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Tuan Thanh, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Thi Phong Vu, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee; Le Minh Thien, Vice President of VIFOREST Association, President of FPA Binh Dinh - Head of the Organizing Committee of Q-FAIR 2025; representatives of leaders of Departments, branches, partner enterprises, wood industry customers, etc.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Q-FAIR 2025, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Hung said: In 2024, the Vietnamese wood and forest products processing industry (CBG&LS) has overcome many difficulties to maintain growth, especially the efforts of wood and forest product associations and enterprises in the production and processing of forest products. In particular, the successful organization of annual fairs on wood and wood products, including the Q-FAIR Fair of Binh Dinh G&LS Association to attract customers, contributed to bringing the export value of G&LS in 2024 to a record high (reaching over 17.34 billion USD, accounting for 27.7% of the export value of the agricultural sector), up 20% compared to 2023. Continuing to bring the export value of wood and wood products to rank 6th in the world, 2nd in Asia and top in Southeast Asian countries. This is an encouraging result, demonstrating the continuous efforts of businesses, associations and the support of state management agencies...

Entering 2025, the CBG&LS industry is still facing many difficulties, especially the difficulties and challenges arising from the US President Donald Trump signing a tariff decree on building a plan to restore fairness with trading partners and the economic policies of major countries in response to the US tax policy. Based on the value of G&LS export turnover in 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment sets a target of over 18 billion USD in forestry product exports in 2025.

To achieve the G&LS export target in 2025, in the context of many unpredictable fluctuations mentioned above, diversifying product consumption markets through organizing trade promotion activities and connecting markets plays an extremely important role. Therefore, organizing the Q-FAIR 2025 Fair is very necessary and suitable for production practices...

At the same time, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Hung affirmed: I believe that the successful organization of the Q-FAIR 2025 Fair with thousands of booths, attracting hundreds of thousands of domestic and foreign customers to visit will be an effective trade promotion channel; create many connections, exchanges, and cooperation; help bring the image of Vietnamese wood and wood products to customers around the world, attract customers to Vietnamese wood and wood products; help the CBG&LS industry continue its growth momentum in 2025 and the following years, successfully implementing the export target of 20 billion USD of forest products by 2025 of the Project "Developing the sustainable and effective CBG industry in the period 2021 - 2030" approved by the Prime Minister...

Deputy Director of the Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung said: Vietnam's wood industry in general and Binh Dinh's wood industry in particular are facing many great opportunities for strong breakthroughs. Currently, Vietnam is the world's largest wood exporter and the second largest in Asia, with an estimated export turnover of 16.28 billion USD in 2024, an increase of 20.9% compared to 2023. Global consumption trends are shifting to sustainable, environmentally friendly products, especially in the outdoor furniture sector. New-generation free trade agreements such as EVFTA, CPTPP, RCEP and CEPA continue to open up tariff incentives and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese wood enterprises to penetrate deeper into international markets...

However, in addition to great opportunities, the Vietnamese wood industry also faces many challenges. Key export markets such as the US, EU, and Japan are increasingly tightening regulations related to legal wood traceability, carbon emission reduction, and social responsibility. In addition, global economic fluctuations, rising transportation costs, and fierce competition from major wood exporting countries such as China, Malaysia, and Indonesia also put great pressure on Vietnamese businesses. Notably, the United States may increase trade protection measures under the new administration, including the possibility of imposing higher tariffs on imports from many countries, including Vietnam. Key export items such as wood, textiles, and electronics are at risk of being subject to higher tariffs to protect the domestic US manufacturing industry. At the same time, the United States may also increase the use of trade defense measures such as anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and tax evasion investigations, putting Vietnamese enterprises at risk of being subject to unfavorable taxes if they cannot ensure proof of legal origin and real added value in Vietnam...

Therefore, to take advantage of opportunities and overcome challenges, Mr. Bui Quang Hung requested that the Vietnamese wood industry focus on some important solutions:

- Improve processing and production capacity, apply modern technology in production to increase added value, meet international standards on sustainability (such as FSC) and green design..

- Promote digital transformation and e-commerce, apply digital technology, artificial intelligence, virtual reality in design, product display and customer approach, effectively expand the market.

- Take advantage of free trade agreements, proactively improve compliance with regulations on goods origin, optimize supply chains and effectively utilize tariff incentives to increase exports.

- Develop domestic market, focus on researching tastes, designing products suitable to the needs of domestic consumers...

On behalf of the leaders of Binh Dinh Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Thanh said: As one of the "wood industry capitals" of Vietnam, Binh Dinh has more than 320 CBG enterprises operating, concentrated in large industrial parks such as Phu Tai and Long My, with a total investment capital of about 13,000 billion VND. Export products mainly include furniture, exterior, garden, wood chips, pellets, serving the markets of the US, EU, UK, Australia, Japan... Binh Dinh has also actively encouraged enterprises to apply modern processing technology, meeting international standards such as ISO, FSC-CoC, VFTN, to meet the requirements of export markets.

In order to improve the capacity of the CBG industry in the direction of increasing added value, sustainably contributing to socio-economic development, in recent times, the Province has actively mobilized, encouraged and supported CBG enterprises to focus on applying science and technology to increase labor productivity, green production, circulation, diversify products and designs; implement the FSC-CoC Chain of Custody management process, VFTN certification, etc. Encourage CBG enterprises to develop diversified markets; directly, link with people to participate in planting large timber forests, take initiative in raw material sources, form links and supply chains of raw materials to ensure origin. Using imported wood materials and exploiting from sustainably managed forests, with FSC certification, initially meeting the strict environmental requirements and standards of EU countries and the United States. At the same time, trade promotion activities are increasingly invested in with policies to support enterprises to participate in domestic and foreign fairs and exhibitions in accordance with reality, contributing to strengthening activities to build and develop brands and product labels to increase added value, find product consumption markets...

Regarding the Q-FAIR 2025 Fair, according to Mr. Nguyen Tuan Thanh: This is an opportunity for businesses to exchange, promote products, expand markets and grasp new trends in the wood industry. This year's Fair also has a strong investment in exhibition space, with many creatively designed wooden booths, clearly demonstrating the development potential of the Vietnamese wood industry in the international market. Therefore, the leaders of Binh Dinh province highly appreciate the efforts of the Organizing Committee and businesses participating in the Fair. This event not only promotes trade in the wood industry but also contributes to promoting the image of Binh Dinh - a dynamic, friendly destination with great development potential. The Provincial People's Committee believes that the Fair will continue to be held annually, becoming an important event in the province's wood industry development strategy, towards a green, sustainable industry, applying advanced technology and digital transformation...

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Q-FAIR 2025, Mr. Le Minh Thien said: The fair has become an important annual trade promotion - export event in March of the Vietnamese wood industry. This is not only an international exhibition fair for outdoor products of the whole country, but also shows the new, unique and distinctive features of Binh Dinh wooden furniture in particular and the Vietnamese wood industry in general.

Accordingly, the Fair gathers more than 1,200 booths of more than 100 domestic and international wood industry enterprises related to outdoor products, serving modern lifestyles in the world. Q-FAIR 2025 is both a place to display Outdoor products, services and advanced technology and machinery in the wood industry; and an ideal outdoor meeting place that is not available anywhere else, which our business community is working together to build and accompany to create bridges and playgrounds between manufacturers, importers and exporters, traders providing products and services and international purchasing partners.

Vietnam's wood processing industry, especially in Binh Dinh - a famous place as the center of the Outdoor industry, is demonstrating a strong rise, creativity and innovation more than ever. The Q-FAIR 2025 International Fair is not only an opportunity for businesses to display wood products, outdoor products with rich, unique and good quality designs, but also an opportunity to demonstrate creativity, applicability of technology, advanced machinery and equipment, especially machines integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) in processing and manufacturing wood products towards the goal of developing a sustainable and effective CBG industry in the period of 2021 - 2030, reaching 2 billion USD of Binh Dinh's wood industry and 20 billion USD of wood export turnover nationwide.

The organizers and delegates leading the guests performed the ceremony of pressing the button to open the Q-FAIR 2025 Fair. Photo: Viet Hien

At the same time, the Head of the Organizing Committee affirmed: The Q-FAIR 2025 International Fair is not only an ideal opportunity to promote products, services and brands, but also opens up opportunities for business cooperation, finding technological solutions, sharing knowledge, experience, skills, creating strategic partners for wood industry enterprises and industries supporting the wood industry to overcome many unprecedented difficulties and challenges in international markets and in the domestic business environment. Q-FAIR 2025 will be a place for us to enjoy and experience the beauty, creativity and high-class quality of Vietnamese wood products in a unique Quy Nhon sea space so that we can together find breakthrough directions, new solutions in the strategy of diversifying markets and customers, contributing to bringing the CBG industry and the Vietnamese forestry industry to new heights...

In particular, according to the Organizing Committee, within the framework of the Q-FAIR-2025 Fair, there will also be many rich and unique sideline events, such as: Workshop "Economic - Financial Market Prospects in 2025" (organized by the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank - MB Bank); Conference "Assessing opportunities, challenges and proposing solutions to achieve the export target of wood and forest products in 2025" (organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and VIFOREST Association); Congress of Binh Dinh Wood and Forest Products Association for the term 2025-2027; Workshops on international standards of the wood industry, trade - export promotion and wood processing technology, and useful outdoor products.